Night, in my view, is the best theatrical set in the world for those who prefer to hide faces but reveal feelings. In London (or somewhere in its foggy surroundings, if you believe the sparse biographical notes) a band appeared that understands this better than the others. Spiral Arms emerged – like a random glint on wet asphalt – and reminded that rock music can be loud and damn elegant. After the intriguing mini-album “6 of 1”, which smelled of vinyl, expensive perfume and a light taste of the forbidden, they presented their first full-length opus – “You Want the Wave”. And you know what? This wave is really desired.
The album of 12 tracks opens with “The Enduring Chill”. A daring rock pulse invites into a closed club, where in the air hangs the expectation of something beautiful and a little dangerous. Next, “Hidden In Plain Sight (This Is Love)” knocks out sparks of a different kind – a powerful track about love that is hidden in plain sight. Dense, layered music reminds the best works of INXS of their golden period. The sound of Spiral Arms – refined glam-noir. As if Simon Le Bon and Billy Idol threw a party in the decorations of a David Lynch film, inviting The Psychedelic Furs. This is music for adults who are not afraid of their anxiety and know how to turn their own “kinks” into art.
For example, the early hit “Wrong Way In”. Here it is presented without the participation of Anton Donovan, but has not lost its provocative gloss. This is still a dedication to a first date that ends with breakfast (or its absence), told with that share of irony that distinguishes a gentleman from a simple boor. A smooth glide through the album leads to “Strawberry Blonde”. If the previous tracks are soaked in cigarette smoke, then here the sun breaks through the sound. The lead single is deliberately melodic: clean lines, bright images, no sharp corners. The band seems to say: come in, they don’t bite here. For now. The track works as a perfect entry point precisely because it does not reveal all the cards at once – it is charming, and that is enough. The vocal – velvety, confident, with a barely noticeable crack – draws images that you want to examine under a magnifying glass.
But don’t be deceived: Spiral Arms quickly return the listener to the familiar element of “night alternative radio”. “What Do You Call the Thing That Eats You?” – the darkest moment of the album. The vocalist raises the tone, exploring a nameless night fear — a real psychoanalysis under guitar feedback. The dark point of the album. The vocalist shifts to higher tones, exploring nameless nighttime fear – psychoanalysis over guitar feedback. On “It Never Ends” the album changes vector. In the rhythm of a waltz, shadows and revelations spin, no longer remembering who leads whom. The music sways slowly, the arrangement is deliberately minimalistic: the space between sounds works no less than the sounds themselves. The vocal is broken. This is the fatigue of a person who knows the route too well. Night, closeness, morning – without an exit point, because, perhaps, no one is looking for it. The title could sound like a complaint, but here it is a statement.
The final third of the album goes into more complex territory. “If Nonsense Only Knew” – a cover of a song by the little-known Texas band Silver Scooter from 1998 – sounds like a gesture of understanding. The track is painfully introspective, and Spiral Arms perform it as if it had always been their own. Sometimes the best way to say something personal is to borrow someone else’s words. The ballad “The Edge of What I Know” adds scale to the album’s sound. A cinematic scene arises: the hero stands on the edge of a cliff, the wind flutters his coat, and ahead – a frightening but attractive unknown. In mood this is pure late Roxy Music – a big, slightly theatrical sound with melancholy that covers like sea fog. The final “Redecorate in Red (Turn It Up)” – a direct heir of “Hands Up, Heart Down”, only louder and more confident. The vocal works as an instrument of pressure: it demands attention – and receives it. Pulsating bass and synthesizers create tension, it seems that the speakers are about to start sparking.
“You Want the Wave” – an example of a debut with a fully formed DNA. Spiral Arms occupy the niche of intelligent, sexual and slightly vicious rock. Music for those who: value the atmosphere of the night city more than the bustle of the day and believe that melancholy is the most stylish accessory.
Spiral Arms remained faithful to their mystery – we still do not know who they are, but after listening to this album it seems that they know too much about us. And this is a damn pleasant feeling.
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